Minnesota Wild welcome back Matt Dumba to NHL

BUFFALO, N.Y. — After spending the first two months of the season with the Wild, 2012 first round pick Matt Dumba was sent to the AHL for his first extended stint in the minors to develop and mature.

Asked if Dumba did, indeed, develop and mature with the Iowa Wild, coach Mike Yeo joked, "He’s got a little facial hair, so he definitely matured a little."

Dumba, 20, smiled when Yeo’s message was relayed to him.

"That’s what I was going for," Dumba joked. "I needed to grow a good goatee just like him."

There were plenty of smiles and laughs Thursday morning as Dumba returned to the ice with the Wild. The No. 7 overall pick in 2012 is the franchise’s top prospect and could add an instant offensive boost to the Wild’s game.

But whether he stays in the NHL will depend on how reliable he is in the defensive zone.

"I definitely want to see the consistency," Yeo said. "My understanding is he has been playing a more controlled game, and we’re going to need that from him."

via Wild welcome back Matt Dumba – TwinCities.com.